What's so wrong with California Adventure?

[Mike_M]

I'll put my hat in with the people that don't hate it but also think it wasn't laid out very well. As a Former Californian (Lived in the Bay Area until I was 20), the mini California experience wasn't very Magical. I go to Disneyland to escape from California and suddenly, there is a park recreating what I'm escaping from. The 'Theme' of DCA just dosen't have the same sense of another world the way DL does.

Stuff I like about DCA:

-Hollywood Pictures Backlot (I liked DHS in Orlando when I went there in '01 and this 'land' has some good attractions and theme to it)
-Grizzly Peak Recreation area (This area is the most Disney-esque in DCA plus GRR is a great ride)
-The Bay Area/Pacific Wharf areas (This area is like my own personal Main Street USA. Call it a little hometown Pride I suppose. This area would fit into Epcot quite nicely)

Now we come to the part I do not like about DCA: Paradise Pier. Seeing the largest area in the park based on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (A place I went to a couple times as a kid and enjoyed but and never in a million years would have associated with Disney) seemed cheap to me. If I wanted to go to an amusement park, I'd go to Magic Mountain. Paradise Pier is about the most un-Disney 'land' in all of the Disney parks worldwide. Where is the wonder and Magic in cheap carnival rides and games? Screamin' is a decent enough coaster, but I would have preferred a larger Hollywood area with RnRC and a stunt show instead.

 

[bonita_babe232]

I was wonder if anyone knows whats really going into the reno park once its all done! I know the toy storie ride will be up in a few months, but what other things are they adding in theres? I know the first few post said something about a cars themes area? Is that just the place with the 2 cars you can take pics of in front of soaring?

 

[nunzia]

I love DCA..not as much as DL, but it is still a great place..Now, I admit it was built on the cheap and in some ways it shows..I'm a native Californian but still like the theme..except for the concrete theme that is so apparant. That said, I'm glad they are changing alot of it and making the theme more like '30's Hollywood. It's a very exciting time there and I can't wait to experience it.
Things always change in Disney parks and that's one of the great things about them..heck..I still remember being bummed when the flying saucers and mule train left..
There are some great articles on MiceAge about all the propsed changes to the OP.

 

[DLR29]

I was wonder if anyone knows whats really going into the reno park once its all done! I know the toy storie ride will be up in a few months, but what other things are they adding in theres? I know the first few post said something about a cars themes area? Is that just the place with the 2 cars you can take pics of in front of soaring?

Approximately 1.2 billion dollars will be invested in DCA so no, that little Cars meet n' greet area is definitely not it. Here's a list off the top of my head (btw Toy Story Midway Mania is not included in that enormous budget):

• Complete retheme of Paradise Pier (Sun Wheel (Mickey Wheel) and Mulholland Madness (Goofy's Sky Skool) rethemes, Maliboomer and (possibly) Orange Stinger removals, Games of the Boardwalk retheme)
• World of Color night show that will be shown on Paradise Bay. This will probably increase DCA's short operating hours
• Golden Dreams removal, replaced by Voyage of the Little Mermaid dark ride (omnimover style ride like HM, but huge extensive scenes)
• A complete redo of the entrance Plaza (no more Golden Gate Bridge, no more cheap murals, no more cheap theming)
• Carsland including:

-Radiator Springs Racers: A Test Track (WDW) type ride that will have two tracks. This ride will be huge and have tons of detailed themed scenes along with outdoor speedy areas.
-Mater's Junkyard Jamboree: Like an outdoor dark ride where you can spin your tractor throughout the ride.
-Luigi's Flying Tires: Bumper Car type ride, but with a twist. The "cars" will be tire themed and will actually float on top of the floor. This concept was used (but was not successful) at DL in the 60's with Flying Saucers

Check out this link for some amazing concept art:
http://micechat.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2477275&postcount=220

Also Luigi's Flying Tires:
http://micechat.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2331802&postcount=105

And Mater's Junkyard Jamboree:
http://micechat.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2341069&postcount=114

 

[Mike_M]

Those are cool pics and I dug into micechat some more to read up on the upgrade and enhancement and I have to say I'm really looking forward to this. I may even grow to like PP if the upgrades are done well enough (Maybe ).

 

[KerTggr]

Agree with a lot of the above posters. My hubby & I really like DCA (mostly due to the attractions there). We are looking forward to most of the changes. The two disappointments I have had in hearing about the upgrades are:

1. The architecture for Paradise Pier will be changing to be like a Victorian boardwalk. While I love the Boardwalk area at WDW (GO JELLYROLLS!!!), there is nothing Victorian about California boardwalks. The Park is still named California Adventure and I think that the Victorian theme will take away from that. Though the front entrance Mission style sounds cool.
2. There doesn't seem to be any call out about addition of shade. Neither I nor my family like Bugs Land that much, but that is the shadiest area on that side of the park. Hopefully they will add some more trees for shade everywhere else.

 

[annieb727]

While I agree that the theming and the shade are lacking at DCA, I actually really enjoy it. I like the rides in Paradise Pier...the Golden Zephyr...I've NEVER been on a ride like it! It's nice on a hot day!
I love the attractions and rides there. We usually go over to DCA for a little bit each day we're at Disneyland - occasionally we skip over it for a day, but generally a few hours each day are spent over there. We LOVE it!!

 

[Mike_M]

The more I think about it, the more I think I've figured out exactly what it is about the current DCA that isn't quite right to me (and I think that seeing what the improvements are looking like brought this out in the open for me).

All of DL represents not only different places, but different times. Not one place in DL is about the present. It's celebrating the past, the future or another reality all together. DCA on the other hand is all about the present. PP is it currently stands is a representation of an amusement park (Or carnival IMO) that you could find today. What's special about that? You're not transported into another world at PP, you're just going across the street. Changing a good chunk of the park to have more of a 1930s feel will allow it to feel more like something that you can't find anywhere else. Once this is all done, I think DCA will finally be a worthy addition to the DLR.